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Nutrition for the Healthy Brain

Call for Papers

Brain health refers to the ability to remember, learn, plan, concentrate, and maintain a clear and active mind, and the brain function could be influenced by neurological diseases and mental disorders. The morbidity rates of these diseases are extremely high. Around 400 million people are diagnosed with depression, over 46 million people live with dementia, and 4 million people suffer from Parkinson's disease globally. These diseases cause immense suffering, place a heavy burden on health care services, and carry enormous consequences for societies and economies. However, the etiology of these brain disorders remains largely obscure and some of the patients failed to reach sustained remission.

Recently, the neuroactivities of nutritional components attract increasing attention. The nutrients such as vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and bioactive minerals can almost interact with every pathophysiologic target relevant to the brain health, including neurotransmission, neuroendocrine function, neuroinflammation, and neurotrophic network, indicating a potential therapeutic role in the neuropsychiatric disorders. Meanwhile, epidemiological investigations suggest that essential fat deficiencies, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, food allergies, or other nutritional factors are frequently observed in patients with brain disorders. Additionally, supplementation or adjunctive use of these neuroactive nutrients has been proved to have some beneficial effects on the abnormal brain function. Although much progress has been made, some of the experimental results are still inconsistent and the potential underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

In this special issue, we aim to provide some new insights into the pathophysiological roles of nutrients in brain disorders. Contributions are invited from investigators worldwide in the form of original research articles as well as review articles in the field of the relationship between brain disorders and nutrition. We particularly welcome papers exploring novel therapeutic effects of nutrients in brain disorders.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

Dysregulation of nutritional metabolism in brain disease

The abnormity of nutritional factors in brain development and function

Molecular mechanisms underlying nutrients to treat brain disorders

Novel targets for nutrients to treat brain disorders

Personalized nutritional intervention in brain health

Biomarker identification in brain disorders

New epidemiological study on brain disorders relating to nutrition

Controversies and future directions in the relationship between brain disorders and nutrition